Final answer:
Cotton wool spots are related to retinal damage from conditions like diabetic retinopathy, signifying ischemia in the retina. They differ from the macular degeneration seen in AMD. Advancements such as the stem cell patch surgery show promise in treating retinal diseases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cotton wool spots are indicative of damage to the nerve fibers in the retina and are most commonly associated with conditions like diabetic retinopathy. They appear as fluffy white patches on the retina and are formed due to microinfarctions of the retinal nerve fiber layer. This signals the interruption of axoplasmic flow resulting from local ischemia due to damaged retinal blood vessels. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus, which can lead to significant vision loss and blindness. It is a progressive disease where high blood glucose levels over an extended period cause damage to the retinal vessels, similar to the damage described in diabetic nephropathy affecting the capillaries in the glomeruli of the kidneys.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is another leading cause of blindness where the macula of the eye is damaged. However, AMD differs from diabetic retinopathy in that it primarily involves the loss of retinal pigment epithelial cells and resultant macular degeneration, rather than the ischemic events that produce cotton wool spots. Recent advancements in medical treatments for AMD, such as the landmark 2016 stem cell patch surgery, show promise for the prevention of vision loss.